I like you guys.  You have the attitude that me and my IT colleagues have in our help desk testing environment. 

Let me give you a small, short history of myself.

I work for Walmart.com in San Bruno, CA.  As stated, in Client Services...  we get clobbered and bruised every day being the front line for hardware, network, and exchange woes.  So I'm no stranger to black eyes.

I'm currently one of three employees beta testing Windows 8 for our Enterprise environment.

The reason I've been on line the last several days is because I'm on a short term leave after having two surgeries in as many weeks to have stents placed into two of my arteries. I'm a young 47 year old, but might as well be a kid. I have suffered through two heart attacks in 3 and half years. They haven't knocked me down yet.  It's a hereditary condition as I weigh in at 150lbs with a good diet.  I do NOT believe stress has anything to do with this.  I take a lot in stride.  You have to in this line of work.

So there you have it.

I'll figure them out.  I think need a sandbox to play in for these tags :-)

OverFlow wrote:

Welcome to the testing team...

You will find that several new forums are now visible to you.

Thanks for being here and all that you bring to our forum.

Caleb37 wrote:

- Thank you, Larry

Jeff

OverFlow wrote:
Caleb37 wrote:

This part is not true.  When you add TEXTMODE single driver through nLite, either before or after DriverPacks, and trust me I've tried both ways, the two sources conflict with each other because they both write to many of the same files. Not only that nLite adds iaStor.Sy_ and this folder NLDRV with the RST package in a subdirectory in the I386 folder.  They are referenced, I believe, in the txtsetup and dosnet, and a few other files, which DriverPacks seems to do as well.  So they appear to be receiving direction from two different sources and I think this is what causes the conflict.  When I tried using TEXTMODE Single Driver through nLite and then adding DriverPacks, I did not include MassStorage pack because I was certain this wouldn't work. But that being said, just including the Chipset, LAN, WLAN, and SoundB at the end WOULD not work.  It creates a BSOD even before Windows setup load files. The two broke each other.

TRUST ME... I know exactly how this all works. I am not wrong. tongue

PLEASE re-read what i posted above

that would work IF there was not a HWID conflict in the pack, which there is.

Caleb37 wrote:

What pack are you referring to?  Remember used nLite to do a single TEXTMODE driver with the Intel RST RAID Driver for my setup.  I then used DriverPacks to deploy the chipset, lan, wlan, and soundb as the very last step.  So where would you find a hwid problem?

It is true... wink  ... there was a big "IF"  in that statement

All true.  And in doing all of my research with this the Forum, I did read up on Wim Leers.  It's like preparing for a job interview, you should always research the history of the company.  I think he and think a lot alike and are very interested in challenges.  This is called Motivation and why I enjoy being in the IT industry. 

nLite for me was a learning experience and honestly I no longer use it.  But I had a creation from 2009 that worked very well and I didn't want to re-create that from scratch.  Sometimes perfection is at its highest the 1st time.

Overflow, when I get my current rig up and running with XP, I'll create a new partition for Windows 7 x64 as a dual boot.  I also have another rig, Ivy Bridge Z77 Chipset, that will be getting Windows 8. Between these two I'll create a partition that I can work from as a platform to do anything I can help you with here.  I'll let you when that's ready.

Thank you.

All of you guys are awesome.  Again, I haven't started working on my XP system yet and if you'd like me to run any other test, now's the time to say so. 

I always maintain clean sources to work with.  I'm guessing if you're wanting to test something it would the MassStorage driver pack without the duplicate hwid listings and possible with the iaStor package I provided?  Just guessing.  If so let me know, but please modify the pack and let me know where to download it versus me trying to duplicate the effort. I offer this because of the unique situation with my hardware and Windows XP 32 bit.

I've been learning the tags, thank you for cleaning them up.  I'll try to be better with it as I go.  If it's incorrect, I'd rather you complain to me about it so that I know it should be fixed.

Kindest Regards - Larry

OverFlow wrote:
Caleb37 wrote:

MSFN told me I couldn't remove DPBase packs from an nLite source after the fact, yet I wrote a batch file that did exactly that, including replacing the original nLite files in the I386 folder.

Not exactly true, DriverPacks can be removed IF DriverPacks was the LAST step in your process. big_smile

OverFlow thank you for your voice.  It's nice to see others join in.  DriverPacks is always the last thing I do prior to creating and ISO. Also the source of DriverPacks is maintained in the OEM folder so replicating what I did 3 years ago was simple enough and I managed to reverse the process to give me a clean nLite source again. I new that I would not be adding hotfixes, or anything else, other than DriverPacks back to nLite. That would have bricked my original creation.  It just means more updates when I get into the OS.

OverFlow wrote:

you could add your textmode driver in nLite then add DriverPacks... and that would work IF there was not a HWID conflict in the pack, which there is. HINT: remove the section(s) {there is normally only one wink} of the Mass Storage INI with conflicting HWIDs big_smile HINT 2: set MScount to 0 (zero) will disable a section...

This part is not true.  When you add TEXTMODE single driver through nLite, either before or after DriverPacks, and trust me I've tried both ways, the two sources conflict with each other because they both write to many of the same files. Not only that nLite adds iaStor.Sy_ and this folder NLDRV with the RST package in a subdirectory in the I386 folder.  They are referenced, I believe, in the txtsetup and dosnet, and a few other files, which DriverPacks seems to do as well.  So they appear to be receiving direction from two different sources and I think this is what causes the conflict.  When I tried using TEXTMODE Single Driver through nLite and then adding DriverPacks, I did not include MassStorage pack because I was certain this wouldn't work. But that being said, just including the Chipset, LAN, WLAN, and SoundB at the end WOULD not work.  It creates a BSOD even before Windows setup load files. The two broke each other.

OverFlow wrote:

nLite first then DriverPacks. If you do DriverPacks last then you can always remove DriverPacks. (to remove DriverPacks simply run DriverPacks BASE on your source with no packs selected wink.

We never recommend using nLite, it really wacks the source, however if your not comfortable or experienced with OS installation it can be helpful. Just be aware it is a really messy thing to do to your source. But if it works for you on this one machine then go for it.

I use to be very proficient with nLite and learned things through a lot of collaboration and have enjoyed the company of nLite along with the DriverPacks.  With nLite, if you do things in a correct and very specific order, you can rein in it's power. However, hardware has changed from those days and obviously XP 32 bit is becoming something of the past, and Intel has pretty much decided to write it out anyway, though MS will support is until 2014.

I've coaster-ed about 20 discs in the last few days in learning how DriverPacks really works with the help of damnation and Techdud. This was not a bad thing.  Ultimately the challenge was met, when I was told on other forums it was impossible.  That's why I joined this forum to learn and I also received an understanding of HWIDs and the conflicts they can cause.

What's your curiosity?  What would you like me to try?

Last edit for the night guys.  You, are Rockstars.  I couldn't remember where my key was so I decided to run a gambit and ran the modified storage MassStorage driver pack with my nLite version since I knew half of the battle was won as soon as the Windows install accepted the RAID driver.  I wasn't sure what was going to happen after the install whether or not I would be able to boot into Windows without that dreaded BSOD.  Great news to report.  Not only did my install install, but it booted right into Windows for the 1st time.  It was sweet to hear my sound card go active with the MS Chime.  And just to complete this story, I also ran the other driver packs needed, such as Lan, WLAN, SoundB, and Chipset with great success.  It was nice to look into Device Manager and not see so many exclamation marks.

I used the modified file MassStorage package provided, but removed the iaHci files and references.  I think this is what truly worked best.  I also believe this was close to the 1st question I had when I joined the site as to whether I could strip the pack completely down to only the new Intel 32bit RAID driver, which proved to be right.

Does this make me a DriverPack beta tester?  :-)  jk

Anyhow, before I go into the OS tomorrow and start installing the vendor drivers for my MB and Video card, I wanted to ask if there was anything else that you could think of to test, more for you guys than me, at this point.  I mean we had to completely destroy the MassStorage pack to get this to work.  Are you curious to know that if the right changes are made to the pack with the new information that we could get it to work?  But then it may not be much good to the general public since what we've done was support a single platform versus a Universal solution. 

I'll leave that up to you guys.  I'll check back into tomorrow morning for any response.

Again, thank you guys so much.  I was told many things weren't possible and yet, they all were, with the right attitude and determination, if for nothing more than to prove the naysayers wrong.  I also learned much from the multiple boards I signed up with in the last couple of weeks.

Having this one little modified pack may help others out who are in the same situation with a setup that is very close to mine with the X79 Sandy Bridge, wanting to use XP 32bit.  I thought when I left XP last year it was for good.  But with the type of Audio I process, the programs I  use are not compatible with Windows 7 x64 as they were betas and no longer written.  There have been no suitable replacements to date. 

Ciao - Larry

OK, so there is a little good news here.  I ran it your way and mine (meaning I pulled out iaHci files and references).  They both got me to the Copying Screen of the Install.  The reason I pulled out the iaHci files is that the last time I accidentally referenced both iaStor and iaHci, through the TEXTMODE Single Driver Setup, which I accidentally highlighted both AHCI and RAID, the Windows install worked, but at 1st login I Blue Screened.  When I removed the AHCI and went with iaStor it worked to install and load windows on 1st boot up. 

So at the moment I'm testing my version, yours sans the iaHci.  I'll let you know how it goes as soon as I see if it will let me into Windows the 1st time after the primary install.

If this works, then I can go back to my nLite version and incorporate the single driver method you've been helping me on. 

I think for tonight I'm done for now.  My key isn't working on my Retail version so I have to find my original packing to review the key.  I think I wrote it incorrectly.

I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

Thank you so much for your time tonight. I think we may actually be on to something here.

Cheers - Larry

OK, I'll run this again.  I'll let you know shortly....

Name: Intel(R) C600 Series Chipset SATA RAID Controller
    Hardware ID's:
        PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2826&SUBSYS_84EF1043&REV_05
        PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2826&SUBSYS_84EF1043
        PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2826&CC_010400
        PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2826&CC_0104
    Compatible ID's:
        PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2826&REV_05
        PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2826
        PCI\VEN_8086&CC_010400
        PCI\VEN_8086&CC_0104
        PCI\VEN_8086
        PCI\CC_010400
        PCI\CC_0104

Whoops, I was editing when you replied...  If you can review and let me know what you think...

I'll need your help with this part of it.  Can you modify the files I sent to you correctly and take out the AHCI files leaving only the iaStor, including the mod to the txsetup.oem file? Again, if the system sees both it causes a Blue Screen.  If you don't want to I'll understand.  That parts a little more complex than I would have thought with hwids, etc....

OK, I modified the I4 folder with only the iaStor files and modified the txtsetup.oem file removing references to iaHci.  I then modified the Mass storage pack by removing the 'A', but am concerned with the HWID as doesn't look like what was identified earlier in this thread when I ran SaveHwids to create that log.

This was much faster since it was clean of nLite, but again it failed, couldn't find iaStorA, press any key to reboot.

Here it is:

http://www.mediafire.com/?s2l55tw1w1z6s6a

I think I'm getting good at this BBCode... :-)

Yes, I have a clean source without any nLite.

Since I started working on this project a few weeks ago I have created more accounts than I can keep up with.  But here are the files you asked for plus the 32 bit Intel RST package I was provided that work in Single Driver mode as long as I select RAID only.

http://www.mediafire.com/?ya8ax823oc8y6 … 1e6iyutqu6

Again, thank you.

I hate to sound dumb, but I'm not certain how to upload it to you? Give me that and I'll do it.  Thank you.

There is an iaStorA in the folder, I did not rename it.  I went ahead and deleted the information and tried again, but returned the same results as before, iaStorA could not be found.

As a side note, and just for giggles, I ran the XP disc I did using nLite in TEXTMODE single driver to see what the load preference was at the Windows Setup Screen while it was loading files.  I noticed that the C600 series loaded before any of the other Microsoft I386 drivers did.  When I monitored the DriverPack setup during Windows Setup loading files, it didn't show up at the beginning and was too fast for me to tell where and when it would have showed up.

I'm just trying to be helpful with my observation.

I'm beginning to think having the best of both worlds may be proving impossible.  I rarely give up, but this challenge is far greater and seems more complicated than it should be.

If only the Driver Base would allow the selection of only a Single Driver through its Textmode option this might be solved.  But I'm guessing that's not possible.

Any other worldly thoughts?

Just to be clear, I'm basically looking for WLAN, LAN, SOUNDB, and CHIPSET packs if I can incorporate the TEXTMODE Single Driver setup. The rest of the Mass Storage drivers I would be able to install from within the OS from the Vendor site.

I didn't catch this message in time and went ahead and did what you requested in the earlier post.  However the system came back with "The file iaStorA.sys could not be found. Press any key to continue, which let me reboot.  This was typical of the response I would get when I tried to load the driver from a floppy or USB device.  That's why I had to figure out the slipstream since F6 function doesn't work on this X79 system.

Do you still want me to try the last idea about deleting the PCI\VEN information, or do you think it will result in the same 'could not be found' category?

Alright.  It will be about 20 minutes before I know since I have to integrate, create the ISO and try the setup.  Thanks.  I'll be back shortly...

I think we missed each other by 1 minute.  Can you review the post just prior to your response?

I'll give it a try.  Will it matter that iaStorA differs from the RST I have with iaStor?

So here's what I'm going to try, but I don't think it will do much for me since I don't know these pack setups as well as you guys, the pros who do this.

I'm modifying the MassStorage INI to this:

[DriverPack]
platform="wnt5_x86-32"
name="MassStorage"
classes="hdc,SCSIAdapter"
rootdir="D\M"
driverCount=174
; OPTIONAL
; version 12.03
decompSize    = 52522718                 
compSize      =  8113177             


[I4]
; 3.0.1.7016
ms_count=1
ms_1_deviceName="Intel(R) C600 Series Chipset SATA RAID RST Controller"
ms_1_tag="iaStor"
ms_1_sysFile="iaStor.sys"
ms_1_hwids="PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2826&CC_0104,PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_1D02&CC_0106"
ms_1_isBusExtender=false
ms_1_exc_skipIfOS="wxp,w2k"

Looking at the hwids line, should this be modified to be what the hwids are listed as earlier in this thread?  If so, now how should this line look?

I will replace the contents of the I4 folder with the 32bit Intel RST RAID driver I have, that works in single driver mode to include only:  iaStor.cat, iaStor.inf, iaStor.sys, and txtsetup.oem - Would this seem to be correct? Are there any modifications to any of these files that should be made?  I'm thinking the txtsetup.oem should be modified only for the RAID driver I'm using.  I can rem the other lines. Sound alright?

Again, thank you guys.  This is simply a one off and against the norm I know.

OK, so I ran the new setup with the modified MS DP modded ini file and placed the install disk in my X79 rig.  I got the Windows setup screen, loaded files and then when it got to Setup is starting windows, it Blue Screened with error 0X0000007B.  It's unable to find my Raid 0 hard drives.  This is what is has been doing with every DP setup.  When I run nLite and select the TEXTMODE single driver setup it works fine, but again at the mercy of forgoing any driver packs other than the RAID driver.

I noticed when I do use the TEXTMODE single driver setup it creates two things:  IASTOR.SY_ and and NLDRV folder with only the Intel C600 series driver I chose.  I guess this prevents confusion of other drivers.  I inadvertently chose both AHCI and RAID at one point and the system installed the OS, but on first boot it Blue Screened with the error above because it detected the AHCI driver.  This is twisted.  It also modifies 18 files in the I386 folder, pretty much most of the same ones that DriverPack base modifies.  Now I know why I can use DriverPack base and nLite TEXTMODE single driver setup as they write and modify many of the same files.

With that being said, is there anyway to simply strip out all of the MassStorage Driver pack to just include the Intel provided c600 series RST driver to act as a single driver setup.  That way I would still be able to include the other packs I need.  From there I can use the Vendor updates to install the rest of the drivers for Asmedia, USB, Marvell, etc...

Any forward thinking is welcome.  I may be trying to over simplify the process.  ;-)

OK, so I'm honestly sorta lost here.  Are we talking about opening the ini file in the root of the MassStorage Driver pack and adding these entries, or are we talking about the iaStorA ini file within the I4 folder, or both?  Remember I'm using MassStorage driver pack v12.03.

OK, so I figured some of this out and was able to copy paste the ini section into the DriverPack_MassStorage_wnt5_x86_x32 file in the root of the DP MassStorage base.  So I'm guessing this option removed all of the megasr.sys references?

I'll repack the the file and give it a try and let you know what happens.  Will this matter that I should be using iaStor instead of iaStorA in I4?  wouldn't the txtoem file be different?